I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to connectors for attaching wiper blades to the wiper arm of a vehicle and, in particular, to an adaptor for a pin-type connector of a wiper arm which allows a wiper blade to be attached to wiper arms having different diameter pins.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Many different connectors have been designed for attaching a windshield wiper blade to a wiper arm associated with a vehicle. The connector must securely retain the blade in the proper position while allowing simple removal and replacement. One popular method is the side pin connector which incorporates a lateral pin into the wiper arm. The pin is received through a pair of aligned apertures formed in the channel-shaped body of the wiper blade superstructure. The channel is provided with a releasable spring clip which engages a recessed portion of the pin to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the pin from the blade. When the blade needs to be detached from the arm, the retainer spring clip is disengaged from the recessed portion of the pin to permit withdrawal of the pin.
In an attempt to prevent a vehicle owner from using the wiper blades of other manufacturers, wiper blades and arms having different aperture and pin sizes have been developed. Historically, the connector pin has been manufactured in one diameter. Recently, however, a larger diameter connector pin has been introduced into the market. The smaller apertures will not accept the larger pin and therefore automotive suppliers must stock all lengths of windshield wiper blades for each of the different pin sizes. Space and cost consideration may prohibit some suppliers from stocking the full range of wipers needed to service all customers. Moreover, manufacturing costs could be greatly reduced by making only one type of blade superstructure which could be fitted to the different connectors.